So, I have a sanding bit…the kind you would put into your drill/drill press. Has anybody ever tried one of these out in their router? Of course, the obvious question being safety. I’m just curious because in my drill press this drum sanding bit is next to useless…it’s been speaking to me…it has the NEED FOR SPEED!!
Thanks for any input.
Replies
Don't know what size drum you are talking about. At router speeds, you'll probably remove or load up the sanding grit in the first 6", that's if you survive. A good blade and staying close to the line help a lot to reduce sanding needs.
Dont!
No sanding bit is going to balanced enough to run 10,000 rpm. You have a great chance of it breaking apart or tearing up the bearings in your router. But, just in case you do, take a video from behind a lexan screen so you can post it on You Tube....
I love my routers and I would never put a sanding drum in one.. I'd think the sandpaper drum would fly off and scar your face for a lifetime.. Not sure about that....
SLOW is best for sanding I would think. Again, not sure about that...
Drum sander bit in router?
I have used a drum sander in a drill press and thought that it worked well. I used it to refine the edges of 3/4" stock that I had cut to curved shapes. If it isn't removing material fast enough for you, perhaps you should try a coarser grit. When most of the material is removed, you can switch to a finer grit for a smooth finish.
I would be very afraid of a drum sander in a router.
--Whit
baZING
I agree with the others - don't attempt to use a tool designed for one speed in a device that runs at many times that speed.
If you haven't seen it, check the "Myth Busters" episode in which the attached a CD disc to a router. Pretty dramatic. Naturally, they and their high-speed cameras were behind thick Lexan panels.
When sanding on a lathe...
Sanding is best done at a slower speed. When sanding turned work, I leave it on the lathe and turn the speed down to a couple hundred RPM. I think the slowest a router goes is over a few THOUSAND RPM. Sanding drums get loaded up quickly and the sleeves must be cleaned or replaced regularly. I use drums which you can use regular sheet sandpaper with - that way I can use high grade sandpaper that resists clogging.
drum sander in router/drill press
I agree with all others that a router has way too much RPM for a sanding drum.
Along with that, I would not recommend the drum sander use in a drill press unless 1) you do not want low runout in your drill press when used for accurately drilling holes or 2) you have a drill press expressly designed to take lateral loads. Drill press bearing are typically designed to take large axial loads but not to take lateral loads which what are in play with drum sanding. A few times you most likely will get away without damage to the drill press, but continued use could impair the runout.
Don't do it.
All the sanding drums I have came with max speed limits on the package. They do not even come close to the high speeds of routers. Some are even listed at 350 RPM MAX. I use crepe sandpaper cleaning blocks all the time to clean drums. I keep the block right on my drill press shelf. It just takes a second to make any drum sander like new by holding it against the spinning drum.
This is just a guess, but food for thought, the collets are not the same as chucks and might need half inch and quarter inch shafts that are built with closer tollerances than you might find on a drum sander shaft.
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